BEST BEACHES

10 Beaches that Budget Travel Editors Love

Summer is winding down and there are just a few precious days left before school starts and the fall chill arrives. But there's still time to hit the beach. Here are the 10 stretches of sand Budget Travel editors wish they could be on right now.

Beaches on Long Island’s North Fork are the quieter, calmer cousins of Montauk and the Hamptons. Plus, they’re so close to world-class wineries, cheese makers, and bakeries that a beach picnic is practically mandatory.—Nicholas DeRenzo, Associate Editor

Miami Beach has all the tropical appeal of the Caribbean without a passport required. Breezy palm trees and water so clear and blue, you can see straight down to your feet. And year-round warm weather means no shivering while running from the ocean to the comfort of your beach chair!—Robin Honig, Research Chief

Montauk, my favorite little beach town at the end of Long Island, NY. It's just not summer without a day at the beach, lobster rolls for lunch, and a trip to Gosman's Dock for dinner.—Kaeli Conforti, Digital Editorial Assistant

Having lived my entire life in New York and California, of course I love the ocean. But I’ve got to put in a word on behalf of lake shores! A little more than an hour’s drive from my home in the Hudson Valley, Lake Minnewaska is ringed by granite rocks and a pine forest that will remind transplanted Westerners of home.—Robert Firpo-Cappiello, Deputy Editor

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The snow will melt! We promise! And Budget Travelers know that there's no time like spring to visit brag-worthy beaches and celebrated cities—for a fraction of what the crowds will be paying in summer! From the shores of the Atlantic to party towns like Vegas and NOLA, we've got stylish steals for a spring break that won't break the bank.